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I was raised, as loyal readers know, on classic Star Trek. So when a new series starts, you better believe I’m there watching. Of course, there hasn’t been a new one for a bit but series come out on Hulu and Netflix, as well as HD DVD releases all the time, so it’s a perfect time to catch up!

So as I began watching Enterprise on Amazon, I started thinking about some of the strengths of Star Trek. Let’s start these posts with a look at the captains.

1. Kirk (TOS). The original captain (at least as far as the airing of the series) was a bit of a rakish playboy… he followed the rules, to a point. But if he could use he charms to get out of a situation- he did. Oh, and if there was a reason to get his shirt off (or even if there wasn’t), you better believe the show got his shirt off! Now, don’t get me wrong- Kirk did amazing things during his tenure as captain. He helped the federation meet new civilizations, helped bring peace (or at least temporary resolution) to situations, and caused turmoil all over the place.

2. Kirk (2009 film). In his second coming, so to speak, Kirk was so much of his “original” self that it really was like watching a younger version of Shatner. So… there isn’t much else to say about this character or this particular version…

3. Picard (TNG). Where Kirk was a rakish playboy, Picard was a diplomat. Always sticking to the rules set in the prime directive (at least as much as was absolutely possible), Picard took his job as captain of the Federation’s flagship extremely seriously- unless Q or Lwaxana Troi were involved. While Kirk was more of an action first sort of leader, Picard was a deep thinker, planning steps to take before acting. Quite a change in leadership styles.

4. Sisko (DS9). Sisko started off with a different kind of situation- commanding officer of a station (the first series not to be based on a starship) thus he had new and different challenges. I’ll be honest, I haven’t watched this series since it aired and even then… I drifted off before the last seasons. What I do recall is that Sisko was a nice mix of both Picard and Kirk, basically an action oriented diplomat; however he had a great sarcastic wit and was very jovial. Minus the times he had to discipline his kid.

5. Janeway (Voy). Katherine Janeway had the grand position of being the first female captain portrayed as a lead on a series. I feel like she was a mix too, but leaned more towards the diplomat then the action hero. She was a woman willing to get her hands dirty for her crew. And not willing to take the easy way. I mean, they could’ve stopped somewhere and started lives but instead the Voyager crew plotted a course and headed back through the Delta Quadrant to get back to earth. A lot of times it was Janeway’s determination alone that pushed their return.

6. Archer (Ent). I originally stopped watching this series somewhere in season 2, so I’m rewatching it on Amazon now. What I’m learning is that Captain Jonathan Archer is, above all else, the best representation of a human. He had no prime directive to follow- he had to make it up as he went along. He saw people in distress and he did everything possible to help, even if it didn’t always turn out for the best. He was a true explorer- consider this, the other ships had rules to follow and true maps and guides for dealing with other planets. Archer and his crew helped to create all of that.

So now we get to the important part-

a) who is your favorite captain?

b) which captain would you want to have with you for different situations and why?

My answers…

a) I don’t have a favorite- I think that they are all fantastic in their own way and in their own world. So I can’t pick a favorite.

b) Kirk is the best wingman, I want Picard with me during any and all presentations (I bet he’s a great public speaker), Sisko is needed to make sure I obey the law… someone needs to keep me in line! I want Janeway around for any natural disasters- cool heads prevail, you know. And Archer… yum. I just want him around for all the things ever. Also, can I have Trip (the chief engineer) too? TMI, but wouldn’t that be a delicious menage-a-trois. 😉

11 Responses to “The Great Trek Debate, chapter 1- Captain”

The first “grown up” show I remember really watching as a kid was TNG. It’s kinda like Doctor Who- you never forget your first Doctor… well you also never forget your first Captain. So, by fault, Picard is my number one Captain of all time.

As for answer number two… I don’t really know. I’d get annoyed at Kirk trying to hit on everything all the time. Janeway would be good to have some female backup. I don’t know Archer or Sisko enough to know when I’d want to hang out with them. Picard, of course, is my default selection.

By that logic, Kirk should always be my captain. Normally, I’d be OK with that but Archer and his crew… well, big fan. Janeway is pretty awesome (though I may be biased due to her being the only female in the group) but sometimes she has the same stick up her ass as Picard. I do love Picard as well… he had some amazing eps. (Loving my Trek weekend, btw… watching some of the movies tonight. Can’t wait!)

Oh, Marc was not the TV Beastmaster (which was utter crap, btw- though the guy was pretty). My love affair with Marc goes back to 1982 and the original Beastmaster film and the original television event- V. sigh. He was a fantabulous action hero.